PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. – The University of South Florida baseball team improved to 11-2 in BIG EAST play this season after defeating Villanova 6-4 on Friday afternoon.

The victory is the eighth BIG EAST win in a row for the Bulls, and improves their road conference record to 5-2 this season.

USF starting pitcher Randy Fontanez picked up his fourth victory of the year after pitching 6.2 innings, allowing three earned runs on just four hits and striking out four.

Joe Cole came on in relief of Fontanez in the seventh and pitched 2.1 scoreless innings to get the save.

USF collected 11 hits in the first game of the series making it the 11th time in 13 BIG EAST games that the Bulls have had at least 10 hits.

Brandon Smith went 3-for-4 against Villanova on Friday. The three hits improved Smith to 10-18 at the plate in BIG EAST play.

The Bulls got a pair of hits from Peter Brotons, including a two RBI single with the bases loaded in the seventh. The Bulls also got a pair of RBI from Mike Consolmagno when he plated two runs on a triple.

Jonathan Koscso went 1-for-3 with an RBI to extend his hitting streak to 13 games. Ryan Lockwood also extended his streak of consecutive games reaching base safely to 79 by collecting a hit against Villanova in the first inning.

Villanova scored one run from one hit and three USF errors in the first inning to take the early lead.

The Bulls tied the game in the third as three batters were given one-out free passes as Peter Brotons was hit by a pitch and Ryan Lockwood and Jonathan Koscso were each walked. Stephen Hunt sent a sac fly to center field to plate his 28th RBI and the game-tying run.

The Wildcats took the lead back in the fourth after being hit by a pitch, then moving around on a fielder’s choice and a fly ball and scoring on a base hit.

USF added three in the sixth inning as the Bulls batted around, collecting four hits and drawing a pair of walks. Trey Manz and Brandon Smith tagged one-out base hits, then Mike Consolmagno drove them in with a triple to right field, the fifth three-bagger of his career. Four batters and two walks later, Koscso drew a bases-loaded walk to pick up his 24th RBI of the season.

The Bulls added a pair of runs in the top of the seventh, but Villanova matched them with two of their own.

Todd Brazeal drew a leadoff walk in the seventh and moved to second on a sac bunt from Manz. With two outs, Consolmagno and Mende reached on back-to-back walks then Brotons sent a bases-loaded single up the middle, plating two runs and giving USF the 6-2 lead.

Randy Fontanez allowed four batters to reach the base paths in the seventh, so Cole came in to pitch the final third of the inning. Cole walked one, then allowed a run to plate after hitting a Wildcat with a pitch. The next batter flew out to left field to end the inning and the scoring for Villanova.

USF and Villanova face off again tomorrow at noon, then again at noon on Sunday.